Monster Trucks In Sandy Hook, Saturday

The monster truck Thrasher will be decked out in its Sandy Hook memorial colors when it visits the Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue main station this weekend.

On Saturday, May 4, from 10 am until 2 pm, Pat Summa from the Advanced Auto Parts Monster Jam Monster Truck Series will be at the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue main station.

Mr Summa will be giving rides in a special truck made for just such an occasion. The monster truck Thrasher will also be on display in its Sandy Hook Memorial Colors.

There is no charge. Visitors are asked to park behind the firehouse, at 18-20 Riverside Road.

Pat Summa’s first “monster” truck was purchased as a work truck for his lawn service, a company he still owns and operates today.

“I met Mike Vaters [of Black Stallion] at those shows. He was selling some axles and tires and wheels. I bought all his old stuff and never looked back,” Summa said. He debuted his first truck, Above & Beyond, shortly thereafter in 1991, his rookie season, and won a USHRA event in the Toronto Skydome that year.

In the mid 1990s, Mr Summa introduced his newest creation in front of a home state crowd at the New Haven Coliseum: Thrasher debuted with a Toyota T-100 body, making it the only Toyota-bodied truck on the USHRA tour. The truck went to the landmark US Truck Fest event at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte in its debut year, taking fifth place out of 19 entries.

The original Thrasher was sold and Mr Summa then debuted a brand new race chassis, complete with rear motor and center seat. He continues to drive that vehicle at USHRA events across the country today.

His favorite place to race the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, where friends and family annually watch him perform.

“I love the adrenaline rush of flying the truck through the air,” he said. “I do enjoy racing, but the freestyle part of the event really gets me going!”

Thrasher Motorsports is owned and operated by Pat Summa, who is also the driver of the Thrasher Monster Truck.